Egyptian officials fly to UAE to discuss arrests

In this Saturday Dec. 8, 2012 photo, Egyptian TV host Bassem Youssef addresses attendants at a gala dinner party in Cairo, Egypt. Egyptian prosecutors launched an investigation on Tuesday against Youssef a popular television satirist for allegedly insulting the president in the latest case raised by Islamist lawyers against outspoken media personalities. The case against Youssef comes as opposition media and independent journalists are growing increasingly worried about press freedoms under a new constitution widely supported by Morsi and his Islamist allies. (AP Photo/Ahmed Omar)

CAIRO (AP) — Two senior Egyptian officials are traveling to the United Arab Emirates to discuss the arrests of 11 Egyptians accused of forming a Muslim Brotherhood cell in the emirate.

Cairo airport officials say the two Egyptian presidential aides left for Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to brief the media.

UAE’s Al-Khaleej newspaper reported Tuesday that the 11 Egyptians were arrested last month after allegedly collecting security information about the UAE, holding secret meetings, recruiting members and sending large amounts of money to Brotherhood leaders in Cairo.

Egypt’s president hails from the Brotherhood, and the Islamist group’s political arm is the country’s most powerful political force.